Moreover, after that one encounter with Zhou Jingren, he had done his best to retrieve everything that they had on the man. He even went as far as using his personal resources to research about Zhou Jingren.
And lo and behold, he discovered that the council had been hiding a lot of personal information about Zhou Jingren and even Lily. This only upset Harringfort even more. However, this could not change the fact that he regretted not researching more things about Zhou Jingren before meeting him.
Still, this does not mean that he liked the man. And the things that he found out was not enough to convince him that Zhou Jingren deserved Lily. Inwardly, he still thought that Lily was too good for her own husband.
“Good.” Zhou Jingren said before he reached out and patted the man’s shoulders. “Now… now… people are now thinking that you have been a very bad fiance, bullying your fiance and not seeing her since the engagement party. Do you need my help in clearing your name?”
“Isn’t this your doing?” Harringfort retorted. “Mind your own business Mr. Zhou!”
Another laugh escaped Zhou Jingren’s lips. “Of course.” He then turned his back against Harringfort.
“Hey!” Harringfort said. “I know that you cheated— in that poker game! I know that you hid some cards.”
Hearing this, Zhou Jingren halted his steps but he didn’t turn to look at Harringfort. “So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“So? What are you going to do about it?” Mockery laced Zhou Jingren’s tone. “Cheating or not. You love to throw a tantrum over a game. Cheating or not… I outsmarted you.” Zhou Jingren laughed. What a fool. Did Harringfort think that Zhou Jingren would play fair after Harringfort’s people attacked him? After he made Bei Tian unconscious?
Zhou Jingren would never let luck decide who would win in a game of death.
“I can’t do anything about it.” Harringfort said. “But I am letting you know that it won’t happen again.”
“Is that so?”
Harringfort didn’t answer. In a game of poker, he would never allow Zhou Jingren to win again. In response, Zhou Jingren scoffed.
“Life is a game of poker, Mr. Harringfort. It’s not about how good the dealer is. It’s about how to handle your hand. In real life… cheating is not illegal. People do anything to win. It’s not about winning the game anymore. It is about who outsmarts whom and who ends up being the fool at the end of the game.” Zhou Jingren said before he continued walking, leaving Harringfort alone in the balcony.
‘Of course… you have to prepare yourself for a bluff.’ Zhou Jingren thought inwardly before a smile bloomed on his face. Everything about Harringfort coming in here was wrong. Showing himself now, in front of everyone after he abandoned Eliza, was wrong.
Acting like nothing happened in front of the Nassae siblings was wrong.
Even his acting was just wrong.
Everything about the man screamed that he wasn’t here for Lily or Zhou Jingren.
Inwardly, Zhou Jingren immediately thought about the micro expressions on Harringfort’s face every time he mentioned the Duke. The light in the balcony was of course, not enough to make him see the man’s face clearly, but it was enough to be able to see somethings that only confirmed his previous assumption.
Harringfort might be here to make sure that Lily and Zhou Jingren would not intervene in whatever it is that they had planned for this country.
“President,” Secretary Go greeted him. He had been standing a few meters away from Zhou Jingren and Harringfort as they were having a conversation earlier in the balcony. “I have the list of the people that the Duke was planning to appoint as the next Prime Minister on January thirty first.”
“People?” Zhou Jingren raised his eyebrow.
Secretary Go nodded. “He was still trying to plan everything with the Knight commander. There were five of them. He said… Mikaela had been hinting that Pierre should become the next Prime minister. Of course, he immediately refused. But Pierre Weber was one of the candidates that his Knight Commander or his general had narrowed down to as one of the few people that should become the next prime minister that the Grand Duke will appoint.”
“I understand.” Zhou Jingren nodded. “Contact Bei Tian and ask him for an update. Also… I want you to check something out for me.”
……
Seeing Zhou Jingren disappear in the corridor that would lead him to the Banquet hall, Harringfort immediately opened his phone and sent a text to one of his men. After making sure that there is no recorder near him, he dialed a number on his phone.
“Zhou Jingren knew about the lead poisoning.”
“And?” the gruff voice on the other line asked. “Are you going to kill him?”
For a few seconds, Harringfort turned silent.”No.” Harringfort might be an asshole but he would never break the law of the Order— the very law that saved him from his death years ago. “I would never do that.”
“I know.” The voice responded. “Do you think he told the Duke about it?”
Harringfort narrowed his eyes. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Then… I will call the others. For now… leave him be. Observe and listen. Go to Pierre Weber. That man has been making stupid plans of hurting Lily Zhou. You have to stop him.”
“Stop… as in…”
“I don’t care! That man is a liability. Do whatever you like! Just… keep Lily safe.”
Harringfort nodded silently. “Alright.” He immediately ended the call. Narrowing his eyes on the streets of Luxembourg, an idea started sprouting in his mind.
A strange… and crazy assumption about Lily.
Since coming in the organization, they have been keeping an eye on her. Even when she was a child. Silently watching her as she grew up and made mistakes. They said she was supposed to become the person that would help them accomplish their goals. However, for some reason, Harringfort could not see it.
Goals? What goals? And why Lily?
Lily was not a genius. Even her brother was obviously smarter than her. So why her? What did she have that others don’t?
